"Holidays are designed to bring focus upon a certain event or memory. On Father's Day, it might be expected that we take a little time to think about what it means to be a father. Not all fathers have lived up to their calling, but we are also blessed with those who have taken seriously their responsibilities to provide for and build their families in partnership with their spouse. It is not an easy task, as many men will attest. Success in the endeavor, however, are often found in the virtues of patience and love.
In an aggressive, competitive and often violent world, combined with me-ism and “do whatever feels good” philosophies, such virtues are challenged and therefore, become a challenge to the family. Fathers who have fallen into the traps of selfishness will not only fail themselves, they will fail the families in which are placed in their trust. While there are many in the world mired to its temptations, fathers who understand and subscribe to Christian faith are more likely to understand the virtues and patience and love which helps to make them effective role models within their family.
In a 19 Jun 10 Philadelphia News Daily editorial, Rev. Bradley E. Lacey, states, “I was blessed with a fine father. He was an honorable man from the old school. He didn't wear his heart on his sleeve, but I always knew that he dearly loved me.” As Bradley reflects on the character of his father, he related, “I bore witness to my father's entry into saving faith in the early 1980s. He had begun to attend church, read his Bible and take the sermons to heart. He passed away in 1989. He died a Christian.”
To fulfill the commandment Jesus gave us; to love one another, the whole family should feel a call to a bond. In the challenges of the world, though, men can get lost in their careers and other distractions. Before they know it, their children are grown and perhaps moved away. The days are short, for it is not long before they become weeks, months and years. It is the lesson young men often fail to learn until the time is past and what is gone is gone. But what is done is done and what still matters is the days to come.
The love between a father and a child is not just one way. We should also think of what love we give our fathers and what investment we make of our time in them. It was sadly noted in an 18 Jun 10 Christian Today article that “When asked ‘do you or your family intend to celebrate Fathers’ Day in any of the following ways’, 63 per cent of those who celebrate Fathers’ Day said they would ‘send a card’, whilst only 32 per cent selected ‘visit family or have family come to your home'.” The article continued, “Just 24 per cent said they would ‘go out together’, although 52 per cent said they would ‘give a present’.”
Perhaps the distance imposed upon families by our modern times is one of the main reasons adult children are unable to visit their fathers. Cards and presents, then, become a means of recognizing and saying thanks for the sacrifices fathers have made in their role of raising a family. The survey, however, did not mention giving a call, which, when distance is great, can still brighten a father's day.
The Christian Today article quoted the Bishop of Worcester, the Rt Rev John Inge, who said: ”Spending time together as a family is really important and often gets squeezed out."
In a 19 Jun 10 Bangor Daily News editorial, Brenda J. Norris notes, “A good father is present with his children. My dad attended untold band and choral concerts, accordion and piano recitals, plays and musicals, and he never made me think there was anywhere else he’d rather be (although I do remember him saying something about deserving an oak leaf cluster after a particularly long band event).”
Of course, some fathers cannot always be present, such as soldiers deployed in defense of their nation. Still, where possible, fathers can be present over distance through such means as letters, email, phone calls and videos.
Norris also suggests, “A good father leads by example. He doesn’t just tell his children about God, or drop them off at Sunday School, or wait for them to figure it out on their own. He attends church with his family. They read the Bible and pray together.”
“Blessed are fathers who lead their children in the love and light of Christian faith. Blessed are fathers who love and provide for their children. Blessed are children who have been raised in love and in the light of God's word. Blessed are children who love and honor their fathers. Blessed are mothers, who in union with their spouses, give life to their children through the gift granted by the eternal Father and creator of all.” - Prayer Soldier
Cited Articles and Posts
Philadelphia Daily News (19 Jun 10)
http://www.philly.com/dailynews/local/20100619_Our_father_in_heaven_calls_on_us_to_be_good_fathers_ourselves.html#axzz0rJoeQOpa
Christian Today (18 Jun 10)
http://www.christiantoday.com/article/spend.time.with.dad.this.fathers.day/26130.htm
Banogor Daily News (19 Jun 10)
http://www.bangordailynews.com/detail/146373.html"